The Rose Granger-Weasley Facade
by tina-gw
Summary: Halloween, duelling incidents, and a good liar: how Scorpius and Rose finally came to be. Cursed Child spoilers.
1. Halloween

Rose Granger-Weasley had enjoyed Halloween before she was made a prefect.

While her parents didn't have a ban on sugar like the Potters did, the feast had always been special to her. It was a reminder that, in a world where her existence as the daughter of a muggle-born and blood traitor had to be fought for, how wonderful being a witch was.

As a prefect, however, and now as Head Girl, Halloween had lost its spark. She was now a seventh year tasked with making sure that hundreds of children and teenagers on sugar behaved properly. Even the prefects that she oversaw slipped up, treating the night as a celebration rather than as a responsibility.

Rose also had to make sure that her younger cousin, Lily, was happy and cared for on Halloween. The Potters, after Rose and Albus's fourth year, made it a tradition to visit the graves of James and Lily together after dinner. Lily spent the preceding hours solemnly and would barely touch her dinner. Every year, Rose would walk her back to the Gryffindor common room. Lily would gather up the flowers and notes she wanted to bring and Rose would wrap her arms around her, hugging her until she felt ready to meet her waiting family.

This year, Scorpius Malfoy, her Head Boy, understood and happily agreed to direct the prefects in her temporary absence.

* * *

Once Lily had left with Albus, Rose walked down to the prefect's common room. Her robes flounced as she walked confidently, her eyes scanning the halls for any signs of misbehaving or suspicious behaviour.

When she reached the large wooden brown door of the common room, she hesitated before opening it. She knew Scorpius would be in there. She was now seventeen and no longer an immature fourteen year old. The events of her fourth year had impacted her greatly; her existence suddenly seemed so fragile. People… _evil_ people… like Delphi didn't want wizards like her to exist. Wizards with the blood of Muggle-borns and Blood Traitors running through their veins.

And it was Scorpius Malfoy who had sacrificed his privileged, pure-blood position in an alternative universe to let those like her flourish.

This wasn't the only reason as to why her opinion on Scorpius had softened immensely. His holiday visits to the Burrow had shown him to be a kind, gentle, and funny boy. Despite her initial resistance to the fact, he made Rose laugh. It was a laughter that made her feel lighter, more relaxed, as if she didn't have to carry the weight of being a child of two members of the 'Golden Trio' and the Minister of Magic.

He was also a boy who had grown into his lankiness and become quite a handsome man. While she would never, _ever_ admit it, Rose found him adequately handsome. She had also grown to admire his work-ethic and academic achievements (and somewhat enjoyed the competitiveness that it created within her) and had to hide the extent of her delight when he was appointed Head-Boy alongside her.

" _Well, I'm just glad that it's someone competent," she had told her mum firmly. Hermione grinned back at her. "What?!"_

" _You're blushing," Hermione replied. "Your dad and I wouldn't mind, you know. If you -"_

" _I do not like Scorpius Malfoy!" Rose snapped back, her face now completely flushed. "I mean, well, I do_ like _him! He's a nice boy and very able. He won't mess around like Polly Chapman's brother did last year. Honestly, he was a disgrace, Mum. Scorpius and I will recover whatever integrity is left of the Head Boy and Girl system."_

" _If you aren't too distracted, Rose."_

Yet, despite her denial, Rose still couldn't confront herself and ask why she was so nervous around him.

Rose Granger-Weasley. Nervous. Over a boy. Over Scorpius Malfoy.

She shook her head in disgust at the thought, straightened up her posture, and pushed the door open.

Scorpius was sitting alone on one of the long, maroon leather chairs. His back was to her as he gazed into the blazing fireplace. The room felt eerily quiet.

Rose cleared her throat to announce her presence. Scorpius jumped up awkwardly and turned to face her. Rose mentally noted the strained look on his face and had to force herself not to frown or show her worry.

"Rose!" He said, flustered. "I wasn't expecting you until later… is everything alright with Lily? Is she with Albus?"

"Albus told you that she gets upset?"

"Oh, uhm, yes - yes he did," Scorpius replied as he walked up to where she stood. She noticed that his hand was shaking slightly. "He worries for her, although he doesn't like to show it much. Is she alright?"

"She's fine," Rose said reassuringly. "It's normal melancholy, really. I don't blame her, of course. It's awful, having to go and do that…"

Something seemed to pierce through Scorpius at her words. "Oh yeah, it is," He said. His hand was still shaking. "It's awful for all of them, Albus especially. After having to watch…" He paused and looked down at the ground.

"Are you alright, Scorpius?"

Scorpius stayed silent, prompting Rose to step forward and put her hand gently on his shoulder. She felt something shoot through her at the contact.

"You had to watch too," she murmured. "Mum and Dad told me."

Scorpius looked up at her, his face going pale. "Yeah, I did - but - but, of course, I know it's worse for them… for Harry and Albus," he said quickly. "I know it's silly, really… selfish and silly… Albus had to watch his grandparents get murdered… Harry had to watch his parents… I didn't know them…"  
"Let's go and sit down, Scorpius."

Scorpius smiled weakly and nodded. The pair made their way over to the leather sofa, Rose's hand still on his shoulder as they moved side-by-side. They sat down, his leg touching hers. Rose felt fluttery, the same electricity as before moving through her. She swore that she saw Scorpius move closer to her as he leaned back.

"You had to watch two twenty-one year olds get murdered, I don't think it's stupid," Rose said firmly. "Especially after you had to watch Craig die…" Scorpius winced at the name. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise…"

"No, no, it's fine," Scorpius said. "It's fine, really…"

"It still impacts you," Rose stated. "I don't blame you. What she did - what Delphi did, it was evil. Pure evil. It still affects Albus too, you know. Especially just after it happened. I used to sit with him at the Burrow at night… after he would have nightmares."

"I had - have them too," Scorpius said quietly.

Rose looked at him as he stared blankly into the crackling fire. She hesitated for a second before placing her hand gently on his knee. He jumped at her touch. Cheeks flaming, she quickly snapped her hand back onto her lap.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said, embarrassed. "I just get very anxious on Halloween… you can put your hand back, if you like." Rose felt herself hesitate again. I'm Rose Granger-Weasley, she thought. I'm a Gryffindor. I'm brave, I'm bold. She placed her hand back. "I get anxious - but also quite sad too."

"For Craig? And James and Lily? I do, too. All of their deaths were horrific."

"Of course. But I also find myself getting rather sad for Delphi."

While Rose had matured in a lot of areas, tact wasn't one of them. "Delphi?!" She blurted out. This seemed to startle Scorpius, moving him to place his hand on hers. He didn't seem to notice, but Rose did. Another bolt of energy shot through her and she had to force herself to remain rigid.

"Yes, Delphi," Scorpius said. "It - she - she makes me sad."

"Sad?!" Rose exclaimed. "She's a murderer, Scorpius! She - She manipulated my cousin! My underage cousin! Voldemort - Voldemort never understood love but she did! And she used it to twist him - and you! And she murdered Craig! She murdered a young boy! I'm glad she's rotting away in Azkaban and you should be too!"

Scorpius removed his gaze from the fire to look at her. "Oh, I am glad she's in Azkaban, Rose," he said. "But I pity her and it makes me sad. And angry. I'm angry at how Voldemort and Bellatrix could be so - so careless. My grandmother wouldn't admit it at the hearing but I think they planned it - planned her. She wasn't an accident; she was a planned tragedy. Her life was always going to be a tragedy. And I'm sad, and angry, at how she was raised - she told me Euphemia Rowle didn't like her much, did you know? I don't think they treated her very well."

"Uncle Harry wasn't treated well either by his aunt and uncle! And he never murdered anyone!" Rose protested. She looked at Scorpius's soft face - it was a gentle one, his features becoming less pointed as he matured. It calmed her. "She doesn't deserve your sympathy, Scorpius. She really doesn't."

"Oh, I don't sympathise with her," Scorpius replied. "I just… well, I think about Delphi and James and Lily and Harry. And how not everyone gets to be raised with love and by someone or people who love them. I did - despite everything, despite my mum dying, I did. Teddy, he did too. It's just…" Scorpius sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "It's very unfair. Very, very unfair."

"You have a big heart, Scorpius," Rose said. "It is unfair - but we all make choices, don't we?"

Scorpius nodded. "That's true," He said. "I'm sorry - Halloween just… it makes me think. Maybe it's the sweets and the sugar. My mum always did say that sweets help you make friends," He grinned at her. "Maybe next Halloween I'll try and befriend Delphi."

Rose snorted. "Just don't get Albus involved, I don't want to not exist again."

"That's a very fair point," Scorpius replied.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Rose's hand still on his knee and his on hers.

"Your mother would have been very proud of you, you do know," Rose said softly. "I think she would have been proud that you chose not to hate Delphi, even if I, Rose Granger-Weasley, completely disagree with you. And she would have been proud of you being Head-Boy. A great one, at that. And whatever you decide to do after Hogwarts, I'm sure she will be very, very proud."

Scorpius smiled at her, his face overcome with emotion. She admired that in him: his ability to show his emotions with such vulnerability. "Thank you, Rose," he said. "I hope she would be." He moved closer to her. She did not retract.

But, loudly in the quiet, the door opened and shut behind them. They quickly snapped their hands away from each other and turned to see Albus walking towards them.

"Thought I'd find you two here," he said, his face looking raw and cold. "No trouble tonight? No first years getting too excited and attempting to hex each other?"

Scorpius stood up first, grinning at his friend. "Nope, none. Completely uneventful," he said. "How was the graveyard? Are Lily and your dad alright?"

"The usual," Albus said, shrugging. "Lily cried a bit and dad told her to celebrate their lives, not mourn. The usual."

"Are you alright?" Scorpius asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Albus replied, nervously wiping all over his face with his hands. Scorpius stepped forward and hugged him. "You wanting to head back to the dungeons or do you have any more head's duties to deal with?" He looked over at Rose, who stood up.

"I think we're done," Rose said quickly. She smoothed over her skirt, her palms sweaty. "I'll see you tomorrow morning for the prefects meeting, Scorpius?"

Scorpius nodded and grinned at her. "8am sharp, won't be late."


	2. Duelling Incidents and a Good Liar

If you had asked Albus Potter between the age of eleven and fourteen if his cousin Rose had a heart, he would have answered no, definitely not.

But just as he had matured over the past 3 years, so had Rose. After his fourth year, she had become quite tender with him. Still confident, yes, but tender. She would sit with him through the summer nights at the Burrow when he couldn't sleep, the nightmares plaguing him. They would talk as if they were children again despite his nightmares about murdered boys and murdered parents.

His cousin Rose was confident and bossy, and quite rightly so, but she was not heartless.

 _So,_ Albus thought as he made his way to the infirmary at six o'clock in the morning, _maybe I shouldn't be trying to see if I'm right if I already know the answer._

The evening before, Scorpius had been moderately injured in a duelling club incident by a thuggish Scottish Gryffindor named Tom. He had been briefly made unconscious which, considering how he had been thrown back against a wall, didn't surprise Albus. What did surprise Albus, however, was that Rose had thrown Albus out of the way as she struggled to get to Scorpius. _Rose Granger-Weasley - actually frightened_ , he thought in disbelief.

" _Scorpius? Scorpius? Someone! You!" She grabbed a frightened third-year. "Go and get Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey! Now!" She bent down beside Scorpius, holding his head up._

" _He'll wake up Rose," Albus said, although he seemed unsure at first. He hadn't ever dealt with duelling accidents, really. But his father had been an Auror and he did know the difference between serious and non-serious injuries. "It happens with duels, honestly. He'll wake up soon."_

 _Rose looked at him, her face pale. She then turned and looked up at Tom, her mouth forming into a snarl. "You!" She said. "You knew what you were doing when you performed that hex! How could you be so - so - careless!"_

" _Right, Head-Girl, that's a pretty large accusation to make!"_

" _Albus, take Scorpius's head for me - or lie him down!" Rose said as Albus fumbled with Scorpius. Rose stood up, moving towards Tom like he was prey. "A pretty large accusation? I'll have you know that I'm planning to go into the legal division at the Ministry once we graduate next month and I can assure you that it's not a 'pretty large accusation!'"_

" _A position that your mother got you!"_

 _Albus carefully gave Scorpius to another student and hauled himself up._

" _Rose…" He said cautiously, placing a hand on his shoulder. She shook it off._

" _How dare you!" She yelled. "You don't understand how hard I've work for what I've achieved! With everyone thinking that - that I haven't earned it! That I've inherited it! How dare you! You - You -"_

 _Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall interrupted them and took Scorpius away. Rose and Albus anxiously followed - Albus quietly, Rose barking to McGonagall about what Tom had done._

" _Miss Granger-Weasley, while I will deal with Tom thoroughly in due course, I have already told you that now is not the appropriate time!"_

" _But Tom -"_

 _Rose was interrupted by the appearance of Draco Malfoy storming around the hallway corner._

" _Where is Scorpius, Minevra? Is he alright?" Draco turned to Albus. "Have you seen Scorpius? Is he alright, Albus?"_

 _Albus opened his mouth to reply but Rose butted in, forcing her body in front of Albus's._

" _It was all Tom Wrought, Mr Malfoy! He needs to be dealt with!"_

" _Miss Granger-Weasley!"_

Rose had sat with Albus throughout those sleepless nights at the Burrow. She had stayed up with Lily all night and comforted her when she had been cheated on by that Ravenclaw. Refused to leave a crying Dominique's side when Fleur's sister had died so young.

She sat at a bruised Scorpius's bedside in the early hours of the morning.

She didn't notice Albus at first. She was sitting still, her eyes on Scorpius's sleeping face. Albus smiled at the sight.

"Good-morning Rose," he said quietly, cautious of Scorpius sleeping.

Rose jumped up and her mouth dropped open. Albus raised his hands up in mock surrender.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell him that you've been here when I visit later," Albus said. "I just wanted to see if I was right. And I was. I am."

Rose briefly glanced at Scorpius before walking over to Albus, pushing him back towards the door. "And what exactly are you right about, may I ask?"

"That you like him."

Rose was taken aback for a moment, her face twisting in despair slightly. She quickly recovered, composing herself together. "Excuse me?" She said, deliberately raising her eyebrows.

"You. Like. Him." Albus repeated. "You, Rose Granger-Weasley, like Scorpius Malfoy. And I mean like-like, by the way."

"Rubbish!" Rose exclaimed. "If this - if you're accusing me of this nonsense because I'm here then you're delusional, to be blunt. As if you wouldn't come and sit with him - your best friend! - when he's injured or ill!"

"That's true," Albus said, smiling at her. "I would - if his injuries were serious. You were there with me last night when Madam Pomfrey said it was a common injury of a bad hex. And secondly, if I had been here instead of you, wouldn't that make more sense? After all, I've been his best friend for almost seven-years now. You two are only Head Boy and Head Girl, right? Nothing more? Just friends and colleagues?"

"He came and sat with me when I fainted with revision stress last month!" Rose interjected.

"And why was that? Hmm?" Albus said, pretending to look confused. "Oh! I know! Because he likes you. Has done since first-year and still does."

"That's a lie. He's not as awkward around me anymore! He isn't like he used to be. He's - he's - he doesn't say I smell of bread or anything else anymore!"

Albus rolled his eyes. "That's because a fourteen year old and a seventeen year old tend to express their feelings in different ways. Let me think of another example for you," He paused, tilting his head. "Oh! I also know! Rejecting a boy despite smirking and smiling away when you're fourteen versus… hmm.. let me think… sitting with said injured boy at six o'clock in the morning!"

"You talk absolute rubbish, Albus," Rose said, folding her arms. "Rubbish."

"You can believe what you want, Rose," Albus said, beginning to retreat towards the door to leave. "But we're leaving Hogwarts soon. And you should know that it's okay to put away the _Rose Granger-Weasley_ facade. I think you'll be happier when you do, you know."

A part of Rose wanted to retort, but she remained silent. She did not know how to reply.

"I'll leave you be," Albus said, opening the door.

"Wait, Albus," Rose said weakly. Her crumbling voice felt both simultaneously foreign and familiar. "Does he really still like me?"

Albus turned and smiled at her. "I think _thee_ Rose Granger-Weasley can answer that by herself," he said before finally leaving.

Rose stood in silence for a few moments, his words swirling around her mind.

 _The Rose Granger-Weasley facade._

"I like him too," She said quietly to herself before turning around and walking back to Scorpius's bedside. He was still sleeping. "I like him a lot. More than a lot."

"And he likes you a lot too. More than a lot, actually."

For a second, Rose didn't understand where the voice had came from. Her brain didn't process it, despite watching Scorpius's lips move. She fell back a little, her mouth opening in shock and her face suddenly feeling very warm.

Scorpius opened up his eyes widely.

"I'm a very good liar, you know. Lied about keeping the time turner in fourth year and everyone believed it!" Scorpius said, grinning at her. "Well… not that that was a particularly well-thought out decision. Didn't end very well - for a while, at least. But I don't think that this lie will bring about the same destruction, will it?"

She looked at him blankly for a second.

 _The Rose Granger-Weasley facade._

Finally, she smiled.

"No, I don't think it will," Rose said. She sat down on the bed and took his hand in hers. "I don't think it will at all."


End file.
